


Bias

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Original Character - Freeform, Political
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-02-16
Updated: 2001-02-16
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best, gun control package to the Hill, and they're going to do everything they can to make sure it passes.





	1. Bias

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

RATING: PG, for whatever language and slight thematic issues that occur   
DISCLAIMER: I don't own The West Wing or any of its characters. I'm just   
having fun with them and using them to stretch my creative juices. Hopefully   
I'm doing that satisfactorially. The characters Levi McClane and Dante are my   
original characters, so they belong to me.   
NOTES: This is just another one of those random stories that popped into my   
head while I was sitting around my house doing nothing. Hope you enjoy it.   
It should be noted that certain ideas and expressions of politics are named   
in this story, and if you disagree with them, I apologize, but it is the   
nature of opinions. Statistics used in this story are not factual since I do   
not know where to go to get the facts or the statistics. I've made them up,   
and I suppose I made them scary for dramatic purposes. I'm sincerely   
apologize for any and all misrepresentations.   
SHOUTOUT: To AJ my beta (thank you, dear saint, for helping me with the typo   
deman and the many other various monsters of writing) and to Dallas, my   
critic and my fan, who's helped me tweak some parts of this (such as the   
story) and also helped me write some of it, even if I was a little annoying.   
:) Thanks you two.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"You know you're going to have to bring someone in. We don't have   
enough time to do this all by ourselves." Leo exclaimed as he followed his   
best friend towards the Oval Office.   
"I have faith in my followers. Besides, I don't know who we can bring   
in." Jed replied as he entered the Oval Office and found his senior staff   
waiting for him. "Hey, guys. I hear we've got some angst about our latest   
bill. Who here has reservations on passing a comprehensive anti-guns,   
handguns and firearms bill?" Jed watched as everyone raised their hands.   
"Okay, well, we can start there."   
"Sir, what we have here is a bill twenty times better than the last   
one we sent to the house, but the problem we had with the last one is the   
same, and much worse this time around: no one's gonna vote for it." Toby   
exclaimed.   
"The Republicans think it's a waste of time and the democrats are   
questioning its influence. Can we really do what we say we're gonna do, and   
that kind of stuff." Josh added.   
"And then there's the question: Can we?" CJ asked with a slight smirk.   
"Personally, I think we should bring someone in." Leo said as he sat   
down in one of the armchairs.   
"There's no one to bring in." Jed replied.   
"Yes, there is."   
"Who?" Josh asked.   
"Levi McClane." Leo replied.   
"No." Jed replied. "No, you are not bringing Levi in here."   
"Who's Levi McClane?" Sam asked.   
"Levi's an anti-gun lobbyist and a damn good one. That kid knows how   
to get people thinking about guns." Leo replied.   
"I'm not letting Levi McClane into this White House." Jed interrupted.   
"With all due respect, sir, that's what I said about Lord Marbury."   
Leo pointed out, trying not to smirk.   
"And you were wrong. John did an excellent job." Jed replied.   
"Exactly my point, sir." Leo retorted. There was a pause.   
"Sir, if this McClane guy can help us, why not give it a shot?" Josh   
asked.   
"Levi is a woman, Josh, and she's a damn insufferable one." Jed   
retorted.   
"But that's part of her charm." Leo added.   
"Sounds perfect to me." CJ said with a grin.   
"Me too." Josh added.   
"Oh, God, Leo, you've got them plotting against me." Jed murmured.   
"No, sir. I'm just trying to do everything I can to make sure that   
this bill gets passed, because it deserves to." Leo replied. There was a   
pause in the room as everyone glanced at their President.   
"Leo, go get her." He said finally.   
"Yes, sir." Leo said with a grin.   
"Where can we get her number?" Josh asked.   
"You can't. Levi doesn't believe in telephones." Leo replied as he got   
up and headed for the door. "Come on, Josh. You get to come too." Josh nodded   
to the President and then took off after his mentor.   
"Hey, Josh, make sure Dante doesn't bite you." Jed called. Josh looked   
at the president in surprise.   
"Dante?" He asked weakly before getting pulled out into the hallway by   
Leo.

Levi stood up and stared down the hallway. "Okay, I know what you   
want, but I have my needs too. No, don't look at me like that. No. No, I   
said." She insisted in her conversation. Finally she sighed. "Fine, I'll give   
you a bone. Would that be satisfactory?" The small Jack Russell tilted his   
head in recognition of the word 'bone' and wagged his tail. "You're gonna get   
fat if I don't gain some semblance of strong will." Levi muttered as she   
reached under the counter and grabbed a small bone for the dog to chew on.   
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. She looked up and then at the clock.   
"Come in." She called. She smirked dryly as Leo McGarry leaned in the door   
with his familiar looking protégé.   
"You leave your door unlocked?" Leo asked as he moved into the   
cluttered hallway. Josh looked around at the assorted boxes and magazines   
that were piled around the apartment.   
"Sure, why not? If you're here to kill me, you're here to do me a   
favor. If you're here for some other reason, why wouldn't I want you to come   
in?" She pointed out. "What are robbers gonna take? A 1984 issue of Time?"   
"Point taken." Leo nodded. "Hey there, Dante. What you got?" The older   
man asked as he knelt down to look at the dog who was chewing happily on his   
bone.   
"That's Dante?" Josh asked incredulously.   
"Hey." Levi said protectively. "Size ain't what matters. He can bite   
your pinky off if he wanted, and that ain't the least."   
"This guy bit the president about seven years ago. He still has the   
scar." Leo said as he stood up again. "The two never seemed to take a liking   
to each other."   
"That son of a bitch never treated him right anyway." Levi exclaimed.   
"Uh, to which son of a --" Josh started.   
"We've stopped asking such questions." Leo interrupted. Levi smirked   
and headed for her kitchen.   
"Is there a reason you two are invading my territory and insulting my   
dog?" Levi asked playfully as she opened the refridgerator and coughed a   
little bit.   
"Two days ago we began what looks to be a several month campaign for   
the newest gun control legislature. It's the most agressive thing we've ever   
written, and we wanna get it passed." Leo exclaimed.   
"I've read it. The best way you're gonna get that thing passed is if   
you gather all the women in Washington and get em to sleep with the   
representatives, and then blackmail em." Levi snorted. Josh looked at Leo in   
shock. Leo seemed unfazed as he crossed his arms and smirked.   
"What's our second best choice?" He asked.   
"I suppose getting me to bully around the representatives until   
they're so petrified the only thing they can do is vote for your bill." Levi   
said as she closed the fridge door and started to drink from the milk carton   
she'd withdrawn.   
"That sounds good to me." Leo agreed.   
"How much you gonna pay me?" She asked.   
"Well, judging from the fact that last time I checked, you had six   
million dollars in the bank, so how does twenty dollars a week sound to you?"   
Leo asked. Levi shrugged and looked around.   
"My bills total about 120 a week. You wanna just gimme that?" She   
asked.   
"Whoa, wait a minute. You're willing to work on this for only $120 a   
week?" Josh asked in surprise.   
"Who is this kid and why does he know nothing about me despite the   
fact that he's standing in my hallway?" Levi asked.   
"Josh Lyman, meet Levi McClane. Levi, that's Josh Lyman." Leo   
introduced. Levi paused and looked him over.   
"You're the guy who got shot." She mused aloud. Josh shifted slightly.   
"Yeah, so they tell me." He retorted. She stepped forward and held out   
her hand.   
"It's an honor to meet you, sir. Sorry you had to join the club." She   
said as he shook her hand. She pulled her hand away and shoved it into her   
pocket as she took another sip from the carton and faced Leo. "When do I   
start?"   
"Today, if you can. We can set up an office for you at the white house   
and get you an assistant so you don't have to deal with any phones." Leo   
added quickly. Levi smirked.   
"Phones are an evil plot, Leo. You just remember that." She said.   
"Well, I tried to get that phone ban through the house, but the   
majority leader wouldn't stop laughing long enough to tell me when hell   
freezes over." Leo replied. "You need a minute?"   
"For what?" Levi asked as she stumbled into the living room.   
"To get dressed into something more . . I don't know, public worthy.   
Maybe take a shower." Leo replied with another smirk.   
"Shower. Forgotten what those were. I'll tell you what. I'll be at the   
White House bugging your people in an hour, okay?" Levi retorted.   
"Okay. Don't bring him." Leo said, pointing to the dog that was   
finishing up the bone Levi'd given him. Josh paused and wondered where the   
heck the bone had gone so quickly.   
"Why not?" Levi called.   
"Cause the secret service might take him out." Leo retorted.   
"Good point." Levi muttered as she picked up a baseball bat and   
started heading back towards the hallway.   
"Come on, Josh." Leo said as he pushed Josh towards the door. "An   
hour, right?" He called behind him.   
"You bet!" Levi retorted.   
"You do have a watch, right?" Leo asked.   
"Somewhere around here." She replied.   
"Good." Leo said before closing the door behind them. Josh looked at   
his boss with a confused frown.   
"What just happened?" He asked. Leo smirked.   
"You just met Levi McClane." He said as he walked back towards the   
car. Josh paused and then chased after his boss.

To Be Continued...

~D.C.   
Batman

 

  


	2. Bias 2

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :), Forgot to mention archiving. Go ahead,   
if ye wish. :)   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"What the hell is going on out here?" Jed asked as he moved out of the   
Oval Office. He stopped in his tracks as he met the gaze of a Jack Russell   
who was in mid-munch with what was obviously one of Mrs. Landingham's   
cookies. "Well, hello, there little demon spawn." Jed said in a baby talk coo   
as he knelt down. Dante yipped happily and continued crunching on the cookie.   
"I'm pretty sure he'd resent that if he understood a word you said."   
Levi said as she finished signing the papers that Leo had out for her, the   
light trace of her Boston accent floating in her voice. Jed didn't take his   
eyes off the dog as he rose to his full height again.   
"Why'd you bring the demon spawn with you?" He asked.   
"Because I figured he'd want seconds. You're a President now. If he   
bites you, he gets front page headlines." Levi retorted.   
"Secret Service will take him down before he gets within six inches of   
me." Jed said with a fake smile.   
"Mr. President, how dare you talk about such a sweet little critter?"   
Mrs. Landingham exclaimed as she knelt down and gave the dog another cookie.   
Levi glanced at her.   
"Don't give him too many now. He'll get fat." She muttered.   
"Good, then he won't be able to move at all." Jed mumbled.   
"He'll be fine." Mrs. Landingham replied.   
"It's been seven years, Mr. President. You still haven't forgiven poor   
little Dante for his little vicious mode?" Levi asked casually.   
"Just get a hold of him and get into my office. The others are on the   
way." Jed growled and went back into the Oval Office. Levi smirked and   
glanced at Leo who was sighing.   
"I told you to leave him home." He muttered.   
"Dante and I are a pair." She retorted as she picked up the small dog   
and headed for the Oval Office.   
"Keep that mutt away from me!" Jed called just as she crossed the door   
frame. Leo glanced at Mrs. Landingham.   
"This may be a long day." He said softly.   
"It was your idea, Mr. McGarry. You'd better get in there before they   
burn the house down." She replied. Leo nodded and went inside to find Josh,   
Toby, and Sam all staring at the dog that was sitting on the President's   
desk. Levi had made herself comfortable on one of the couches and was looking   
around for some sort of introduction.   
"Boss, you wanna stop staring at him like he's gonna chew up your   
artery?" She asked. Leo smirked and came in.   
"I see Dante has made himself comfortable." He exclaimed. "Where's   
CJ?"   
"Right here." CJ exclaimed as she came up behind him. Leo jumped   
slightly and turned to her. "I know, I know. I should wear a bell." She said   
before he could and then glanced at the dog on the President's desk. "I think   
someone has turned the President into a dog."   
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Jed exclaimed. CJ smiled and moved to take a   
seat.   
"At least one person on your staff has a sense of humor." Levi   
muttered.   
"I resent that." Leo exclaimed as he took a seat in one of the   
armchairs. "I have an excellent sense of humor."   
"When you want to." Levi retorted. CJ studied the newcomer as she   
found a seat on the opposite couch. Levi had done as Leo asked; she'd taken a   
shower and put on something more presentable, just not as presentable as he'd   
figured. She sat on the couch in khaki pants, a white button up blouse, and   
to everyone's surprise, a red tie hung loosely around her neck.   
"Guys, sit down. Levi McClane, this is Toby Ziegler, Sam Seaborn and   
CJ Cregg. You've already met Josh and of course, the President." Leo   
introduced. "Everybody, this is Levi McClane."   
"Hello." Everyone murmured as they found seats.   
"And that's Dante, who I specifically told you not to bring." Leo   
directed the second part of his statement at Levi, just so Jed could hear   
that he really had tried. Levi shrugged.   
"What was I supposed to do with him on such short notice?" She asked.   
"Leave him home?" Josh suggested.   
"Thrown him into highway traffic?" Jed muttered. Everyone looked at   
him in surprise except Leo and Levi, both of whom were quite used to the   
President's homicidal tendencies towards Dante. The dog just jumped off the   
desk, trotted a little ways and then found a comfy spot next to CJ on the   
couch. CJ pet him and laughed as he rolled on his side and let her scratch   
his belly.   
"Can't wait to tell the world that the President's mortal enemy is an   
eleven-inch tall dog." Levi exclaimed.   
"Take it through CJ first." Leo exclaimed.   
"CJ, be careful. That dog is vicious." Jed warned.   
"He seems sweet to me." CJ cooed. Jed held up his hand and pointed to   
a small, almost invisible scar on the edge of his hand.   
"He bit me and did this." He pointed out. "Is that cute?"   
"What the president is neglecting to mention is that he and Abs were   
taking care of Dante for two days and when the President found Dante   
harmlessly chewing on his loafers, he kicked the poor little fellow." Levi   
mentioned.   
"You kicked him, Mr. President?" CJ asked, horribly aghast.   
"He was chewing my $600 shoes!" Jed exclaimed.   
"The really stupid part though is that after kicking my dog, he   
reached down to get his shoes. Naturally the first thing you should not do   
after kicking an animal is to put your hand within biting range of said   
animal." Levi exclaimed.   
"She's right, sir. That is pretty stup--" Sam started, but ceased to   
speak when he saw the look that the President was giving him. "But that was   
then and this is now. He doesn't seem to be biting anyone."   
"Give him time." Jed muttered.   
"Someone please tell me why I'm here. If it's so you can talk about my   
dog, I'm gonna be really disappointed." Levi replied.   
"We're going to set you up with an assistant. You're gonna work with   
Josh and Toby on who to see and when. Don't worry. We won't have any phones   
near ya." Leo added with a dry smirk.   
"Which one's Toby?" Levi asked.   
"That would be me." Toby said, raising his hand slightly and feeling a   
slight hint of déjà vu, thinking back to the campaign trail when the   
President continuously asked similar questions. Levi nodded and waved   
slightly.   
"Nice to meet you." She murmured. "So who am I meeting?"   
"The senate is currently at 66-34. House is evenly divided. We want to   
fix that." Josh started. "We need to swing 17 votes over to our side."   
"We're lucky that we've got the 34 that we've gotten. A lot of people   
don't think that this bill can do everything it proposes to do." Toby   
exclaimed.   
"46 of the nay votes are Republican." Sam started. "The rest of them   
are just Democrats who don't believe the bill is worth a thing. We have a few   
Republicans voting for the bill, that amounts to eight."   
"So what's going to happen is this: You're going to go talk to Ainsley   
Hayes and go over the specifics of your contract here." Leo exclaimed. "And   
then we're going to send you to the hill with guns blazing."   
"Sounds like a plan to me, though I'm not sure the metaphor is   
appropriate. Do these kids know my tactics?" Levi asked, gesturing to the   
members of the senior staff.   
"They'll learn fast." Leo assured her.   
"Tactics?" Toby asked.   
"Kids?" Sam asked.   
"Don't worry about it." Leo retorted. "You need anything?"   
"I need a list of the voters. A simple list giving me name, state,   
what their party is, and what they're voting for. I also need access to a   
computer. That's it. The rest is easy." Levi replied smoothly.   
"Easy?" Toby asked. "You call swinging 17 or more senate votes and 3   
or more House votes on a bill that determines the fate of gun control in this   
country... easy?" He asked. Levi glanced at him and shrugged.   
"Trust me, Mr. Ziegler, things tend to get quite simple when you have   
no rules to adhere to." She replied. "Leo, where can I find this Hayes lady?"   
"She's in the steam pipe... uh, whatever the hell it's called. I'll   
have someone show you the way." Leo replied.   
"Is it legal to put someone in a steam pipe room?" Levi asked as she   
got to her feet. Dante jumped off the couch and trotted to her side.   
"She's a lawyer and she hasn't sued us yet." Jed retorted.   
"I'll have to ask her about that." Levi muttered. "Can we get moving   
now? I get bored very easily."   
"I know you do." Leo exclaimed.   
"Nancy!" Jed called. Soon the blonde woman moved into the room.   
"Nancy, could you show Miss McClane down to Miss Hayes's office?"   
"Yes, sir." Nancy replied before looking at Levi. Levi smiled and   
waved before looking at the others.   
"See you when I'm done." She said with a smirk and then followed Nancy   
out of the room, Dante quick on her heels. When the door had closed, Jed and   
Leo glanced at their staff to gauge reactions.   
"She's nice." CJ said.   
"She's nuts." Toby muttered. Sam just shrugged.   
"I think she's perfect." Josh said with a smirk. Leo grinned and   
looked at his boss. Jed sighed and took a seat behind his desk.   
"You're turning the best ones against me, Leo." Jed exclaimed.   
"Like or not, Mr. President, she's good at what she does." Leo   
replied.   
"Is she? What was this about tactics?" Toby asked.   
"Do you remember the education package that flew through congress six   
years ago, the one that no one said they were going to vote for?" Jed pointed   
out.   
"Yeah, it passed with twenty votes to spare." Josh recalled.   
"That was Levi on the hill scaring the crap out of certain members of   
Congress. By the time she was done, every person she'd seen was ready to vote   
for whatever she endorsed. She's good at what she does because she doesn't   
care what she does or how people react to how she does it." Leo exclaimed.   
"There's a different congress now than the one she dealt with then,   
but not profoundly different." Jed exclaimed. "Within the next few days,   
she's going to start going up there and she's gonna start doing what she   
does. Her tactics, as she calls them, basically consist of telling the truth   
in such a way that no one else will tell it." He added.   
"Plus she uses some pretty intense facts, examples, visual aides, and   
a few other things that are kind of offhand." Leo added.   
"So in a way, she's the color-outside-of-the-lines type." Sam   
clarified.   
"Exactly. And within the next few days or weeks or whatever, she's   
gonna get us the votes we need." Leo replied.   
"Sir, are you telling us everything?" Toby asked quietly.   
"What do you mean, Toby?" Leo asked.   
"I'm getting the feeling that there's more to this woman than you're   
telling us." Toby replied slowly. Leo paused and glanced at the President.   
Jed returned the glance cautiously. Leo looked at his hands.   
"You're right; there is more than what we're telling you. But if you   
need to know it, you will." He replied as he looked up at his workers again.   
"In the long run, just trust us and we'll get the job done." There was a   
pause before CJ and Sam both got to their feet.   
"What should I do if the press asks about her?" CJ asked.   
"Tell them that she's here to work for us and other than that, there's   
no information to give. Levi and I are gonna sit down with you later, CJ, and   
go over some important stuff." Leo exclaimed.   
"Is there anything else?" Sam asked.   
"No, we're done." Jed announced. The staff slowly got to their feet   
and left the room. Toby lingered a few seconds and then left the room as   
well. Leo looked at Jed and waited for his words.   
"I hope you're right, Leo." Jed said softly. "Goddamn, I hope you're   
right. She better not fall apart."   
"She's not going to fall apart, Mr. President, and you know it." Leo   
replied before heading back to his office.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	3. Bias 3

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"Miss Hayes?" A stranger's voice exclaimed through the doorway.   
Ainsley glanced up and looked into a pair of piercingly blue eyes. Not like   
Sam's sharp blue eyes, but more of an icy white blue, a pair of eyes that   
seemed to stare straight through all pretenses into one's soul.   
"Yes. Are you Ms. McClane?" She replied. Levi paused and then came   
into the room. A strand of her hair fell into her face, but she didn't   
notice; she never did. Usually she had two strands loose, and they hung on   
either side of her head, framing it. She liked it like that, but she wasn't   
sure if anyone else did.   
"Uh, never been married, but yeah, that's me." She replied as Dante   
trotted up to Ainsley's desk and then immediately began his sniffing trek   
around the room. He always had to explore everything.   
"Well, I'm just going to go over a few things here with you. I think   
there must be a typo. This says you're going to work here for $480 a month."   
Ainsley said with a weak chuckle.   
"That's correct." Levi pointed out as she kept an eye on Dante but   
still giving Ainsley her attention.   
"You're going to work here for four-hundred and eighty dollars a   
month?" Ainsley repeated, quite surprised.   
"That about covers my electricity and gas bills, so why the heck not?   
I work here; they pay my utilities." Levi said with a nod as she glanced   
around the room that was a weak semblance of an office. "You actually put up   
with working down here?" She asked suddenly. Ainsley paused.   
"It's the best they could do." She replied.   
"Right." Levi said, pausing. "If I were you, I'd ask for an actual   
office. I mean, this is . . this place has got to be hot when that thing's   
going."   
"Yeah, but I've got a fan." Ainsley said weakly. Levi smiled weakly.   
"Okay. If you say so." She said. "They're fixing me up with a temp   
office. When I leave, I'd suggest you move into it." Ainsley paused, thinking   
about why would they give this woman McClane a better office, but then she   
shrugged.   
"I'll work where they tell me to work. It's an honor to work in the   
White House." She replied.   
"Even *this* White House?" Levi asked.   
"It's not where I envisioned myself, but it works. I've managed to   
accomplish a lot around here, I believe." Ainsley replied with a smile,   
remembering the moment when she asked herself the same thing.   
"Well, I think that's good. I think that politics should be less about   
parties and more about what's best for the people." Levi said slowly. "The   
only problem is that everyone has a different idea of what's best for the   
people."   
"Which is the nature of the party system." Ainsley replied with a   
smirk.   
"So most believe." Levi replied.   
"But not you?"   
"No. I believe that the party system is about who's better. It should   
be about who's right and who's wrong, but it's not. Not any more."   
"I've never met someone who thought of it that way." Ainsley said   
slowly.   
"I've never met someone who responded as nicely as that. Most people   
just call me crazy and move on." Levi replied with a smirk. There was a   
pleasant pause between them before Ainsley got back to business.   
"Well, doing the math part of it, if you were to work here eight hours   
a day, five days a week, at minimum wage, that would equal $42 a day, $210 a   
week and $840 a month. There's a drastic difference between what they're   
giving you and what's legal, so I'm afraid you're going to have to get more   
than you bargained for." Ainsley said with a smile. Levi chuckled and nodded.   
"Wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble." She replied. "That sounds   
fine. Maybe I'll give it to charity."   
"That would be nice of you." Ainsley replied as she scribbled a note   
on a piece of paper and then presented the paper to Levi. "Sign there and   
that's everything. Leo says that he's going to go over the press stuff with   
you and CJ later today. I'm assuming that there's nothing too out of order?"   
"You may assume that, but don't shoot me when something in your   
opinion turns out to be out of order." Levi said as she signed the paper. "I   
had a bit of legal trouble about seven years ago, and I'm seeing a therapist,   
but that's about it." She informed Ainsley.   
"What was the legal trouble, if I may ask?" Ainsley asked cautiously.   
"Someone tried to show off with his knowledge of gun statistics. He   
said some downright offensive stuff. Stupidly, I beat him up. The court   
ordered me to see a therapist for two years. I liked the guy so much, I'm   
still seeing him." Levi explained easily.   
"You don't like guns, huh?" Ainsley asked slowly. Levi paused.   
"I don't like death." She finally replied. "Guns scare me. That's why   
I devote my life to limiting them, to getting them away from me and from   
people like me." Ainsley nodded slowly, deciding to bite her tongue and not   
get into this discussion. Levi noticed and smirked weakly. "I think I should   
head back upstairs now. Talking to CJ and all that. Figure out what the heck   
I'm doing here today."   
"Well, you're all set." Ainsley replied. Levi smirked, whistled softly   
and then headed out the door, Dante quick on her heels.

"What's this about Levi falling apart?" CJ asked as she took her seat   
in Leo's office. Leo looked at her. "After the staff meeting this morning, I   
went to wait in your office and the President asked you if Levi was going to   
fall apart, and you assured him she wouldn't."   
"You were eavesdropping?" Leo asked in shock.   
"Leo, the door was open. I was waiting for you. You two were making no   
attempts to speak quietly. What was I supposed to do? Plug my ears and start   
singing at the top of my lungs?" CJ retorted. Leo paused.   
"I wouldn't mind hearing the jackal again." He said finally. CJ   
chuckled.   
"Maybe if we pass this bill. What did you guys mean by falling apart?"   
She asked again. Leo sighed and took his seat.   
"A few years ago, Levi had an incident where she kind of lost it for a   
few minutes, and she beat up a guy. They put her in jail for 30 days and then   
the court ordered her community service and to see a therapist." Leo   
explained slowly. "By falling apart, we were referring to her being able to   
keep herself together in light of the people she's going to be dealing with."   
"In other words, the President is worried she's going to try to beat   
up the people we send her to meet with?" CJ asked after cautiously soaking   
this information in. Leo paused and looked at the small dog that had trotted   
into the room. Levi leaned against the doorway.   
"Yeah, they're both afraid of that." She said softly. CJ stood up,   
feeling slightly guilty, but not as guilty as Leo did as he got to his feet.   
He didn't like talking about people behind their backs, especially people he   
cared about.   
"Levi..." Leo started.   
"Let's start this, huh? CJ, there's some stuff you have to know, and I   
know you now already know some of it." Levi interrupted as she moved forward   
and plopped down on Leo's couch.   
"I don't know the whole of it?" CJ asked cautiously, aware that Levi   
didn't seem to be phased at all.   
"Well there's the legal stuff, the therapy stuff, there's the dog   
stuff, there's the banter with the President, there's the brother stuff . .   
." Levi started to list off, a smirk growing on her face. Leo raised his   
hands and silenced her.   
"All right, all right. Don't try to scare her." He said playfully. CJ   
chuckled weakly, not wanting to admit that she was now a little nervous, to   
say the least. Leo smirked weakly as he noticed. "It's not that bad."   
"Maybe we could start with the most important." CJ suggested.   
"Well, you know one of the two most important things. The legal stuff   
and going to the therapist, which I still do once a week." Levi added.   
"I thought the court said for two years." Leo exclaimed. Levi glanced   
at him.   
"I liked it." She replied simply. He smirked.   
"Okay." He consented.   
"What's the other most important thing?" CJ asked.   
"The reason why I'm with the C.A.H. and other anti-gun lobbyists. When   
I was 12, my 17-year-old brother and I snuck out of the house to go to a   
party. When we came back, my father thought that we were burglars trying to   
break in." Levi said slowly and almost coldly. CJ braced herself for what was   
coming. She'd heard these statistics over and over again. Levi shrugged and   
glanced at Dante whose tail had drooped. He moved over and snuggled into her   
side as she pet him gently. "My brother was the first one in the door. My   
father shot him, and the blood got all over me. It was a..." Levi stopped   
and smiled weakly. "Painful thing, to say the least. Been working at it ever   
since."   
"I'm sorry." CJ whispered. Levi shrugged.   
"It's all right. It was thirty years ago." She replied slowly. CJ   
paused and then frowned slightly.   
"Just out of personal curiosity, what is it with you and the   
President? Most people feel a certain, I don't know, obligation to be, you   
know, respectful towards him?" CJ said. Levi smiled weakly.   
"It's hard to explain. I doubt you'll be asked that question, but if   
you do, just say we have an understanding." She replied.   
"I wasn't asking for the press." CJ said with a smirk. Levi chuckled.   
"I got that. I was just hoping you wouldn't." She replied. "The   
President and I had a personal argument around seven years ago, long before   
he was ever President. It was a vibrant disagreement, and it's one that has   
never been completely resolved."   
"Okay, that I can live with, I guess." CJ exclaimed. Levi nodded.   
"I've known this guy for nearly twenty years; that one," She said as   
she pointed to Leo. "For about twenty-two. I'm not here to cause trouble." CJ   
smiled.   
"Who said you were here to cause trouble?" She asked. Levi grinned.   
"Absolutely no one." She retorted.   
"Do we want to go over the rest of the stuff?" CJ asked, glancing at   
Leo. He nodded.   
"Let's do this." He exclaimed, glad that things were going smoothly so   
far. The part he was most worried about was tomorrow when Levi had her first   
meeting. That was when the truth would come to light.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	4. Bias 4

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

Toby stood outside the door to the Roosevelt room and waited   
nervously. Today was the day of Levi's first meeting to help them get the   
guns. She was almost five minutes late already. Needless to say, it wasn't   
reassuring. He hadn't talked to the woman since meeting her the day before   
and he wasn't entirely sure what she was planning to do. He turned and   
watched as Josh escorted Congressmen Sugarbaker and Wick into the room.   
Suddenly he felt something tugging on his leg. Looking down, he saw Dante the   
Jack Russell Terrier chewing on the pant leg of his $200 suit. He shook the   
dog off and looked up to meet Levi's gaze.   
"You ready to go on in?" She asked casually. He paused. There wasn't   
enough time to grill her now. He'd have to do it later. With a grunt, he   
nodded and led the way into the room.   
"Congressman Sugarbaker. Congressman Wick. It's good to see you." Toby   
said politely as he took his seat. Levi took her own seat next to him and put   
a small box on the table next to her while Dante scampered around the room.   
Josh raised an eyebrow at Toby who was doing his best not to scream.   
"It's good to see you too, Toby. You must be Miss McClane." Sugarbaker   
exclaimed. Levi glanced at him and smiled weakly.   
"Yeah, that's me. You must be Congressman Sugarbaker. And that would   
make you Congressman Wick." She replied nodding at Christopher Wick. He   
nodded back.   
"If I may inquire, what is a dog doing here at this meeting?" Wick   
asked. Levi smirked.   
"He's checking the room for bugs." She replied wryly. Toby cleared his   
throat.   
"If we can get started." He interrupted. "We all know why we're here.   
We'd like to discuss with you the repercussions and agendas surrounding this   
bill and..." Toby trailed off as he watched Levi open her box and pull out   
a piece of paper, a pair of scissors and a pen. She glanced at him.   
"Continue. I'm listening." She assured him. Across the table, the two   
visiting congressmen traded uncertain looks. Toby glanced at Josh and then   
folded his fingers together and proceeded.   
"As we all know, this is the most comprehensive legislative stride   
taken towards gun-control, looking into the banning of certain kinds of   
bullets, such as cop-killer bullets, as well as specific types of handguns,   
rifles and other firearms." Toby said hesitantly, still slightly distracted   
by what Levi was doing. As he talked, she had divided the paper into five   
equal parts and had begun cutting the parts into small strips of equal size.   
"We know the intricacies of the bill, Toby. I'm just not convinced   
that your goals aren't set too high. I look at this bill and I see a pedestal   
raised over the country's head that we have no chance of reaching. Not   
without a hell of a lot of time, resources and money, and from the way this   
looks, if we spent a hell of a lot of time, resources and money on this   
thing, it would be a *waste* of time, resources and money." Sugarbaker   
exclaimed.   
"Congressman Sugarbaker, what's your son's name? It's Robert, right?"   
Levi asked suddenly. Everyone looked at her in surprise.   
"Yes, uh, yes, it is. Why?" He replied slowly. Levi started writing on   
the strips.   
"You'll see. Please continue." She exclaimed.   
"What are you doing?" Wick asked. She glanced at him.   
"My methods are a bit unorthodox, Mr. Wick, as you've no doubt heard.   
Just bear with me. You'll know soon enough." She assured him. Toby glanced at   
Josh again, this time a bit more nervously.   
"Congressman Sugarbaker, let me try to assure you that this bill is a   
waste of neither time nor resources nor money. The budgeting and resource   
planning included within this program has been reasoned out by some of this   
country's top financial planners, and the time that's spent executing it, we   
predict six years, will be no waste." Josh started.   
"Many gun-control experts, including members of your own party,   
Congressman, have agreed that this is an efficient use of funds and   
resources. The time will be spent by us, not you." Toby added.   
"Those members you mentioned, I know them. They're not all   
pro-gun-control, they just believe that this could do the job. I fail to see   
where it says in these words the reason why I should believe in this bill."   
Sugarbaker replied as he kept an eye on Levi who had withdrawn a small bag   
from her box, starting folding up the strips of paper and put the folded   
papers into the bag. After doing so, she looked directly at him and began to   
shake up the bag.   
"Congressman, pick a piece of paper out of the bag." Levi said as she   
held the bag forward. Sugarbaker paused. "Humor me, please." She added. He   
reached into the bag and pulled out a single piece of paper. "Unfold the   
paper and tell me what it says." She requested. He unfolded the paper.   
"It says 'Robert'. That's my son's name." He replied. She nodded.   
"Yes it is. The other papers in here say," She started as she dumped   
the papers out on the table and began unfolding them, reading them off as she   
did so. "Burglar. Murderer. Thief. All-around bad guy." She finished.   
"Statistics show that people who buy guns for the protection of their homes   
usually wind up dead themselves or," She pointed to the paper in his hand.   
"There's a large chance they'll shoot a loved member of the family."   
Sugarbaker paled slightly. Levi glanced at Toby and Josh who were staring at   
her like she was insane, and then back at the two congressmen.   
"The principle behind politics and issues is bias. Are you going to   
vote for gun-control? Well, right now, you're not. What happens in a year or   
two when your son comes home late from a party and you don't know that it's   
him?" She continued. "There are people out there who never had a word to say   
about gun control until a member of their family was killed by a gun, and   
suddenly, there's a problem on the streets. Do you really want it to get that   
far, Congressman? Do either of you?" She asked pointedly.   
"You make a point quite bluntly." Sugarbaker said as he stared at the   
paper in his hands.   
"You're making the point yourself. I could have said 'Congratulations,   
Congressman, you just shot your son' but I didn't need to. You can put the   
pieces together on your own." Levi retorted. "Right now, we're asking you   
guys to let us put the pieces together so that that little piece of paper   
right there can become a meaningless little joke, and your son can come home   
happy." Sugarbaker glanced at her and then at Toby and Josh. Wick   
interrupted.   
"Look, this is very touching but--" He started.   
"I mentioned the fact that a fraction of people who have guns for the   
protection of their homes and familes also wind up dead themselves. A   
majority of such people do not get proper training with a gun before taking   
it into their possession. They hear someone breaking in downstairs, or they   
see someone in their room, they immediately reach for the gun." Levi   
interrupted him. "Statistics show that the intruder is far more likely to   
know how to use the gun, and far more able to reach it before the owner does.   
The intruder is also more willing.   
"If I were to put a pen in front of each of us, and at a set time, we   
would all grab the pen and write "bam" on a piece of paper, that would   
represent twice the amount of time it takes for someone to get a gun and fire   
it. Whoever finished first would be the one who does not die in the end."   
Levi continued. "You want to play that game, Mr. Wick? Theoretically   
speaking, do you want to take that risk with your life?" She asked quite   
seriously. There was a long silence.   
"These are pieces of paper, Miss McClane." Wick said slowly. Levi   
raised an eyebrow.   
"Right now they are. What are they going to be tomorrow?" She said   
softly.   
"Guns. Loaded with copkiller bullets, the bullet that statistically   
inflicts the most pain on its victims." Josh added, starting to get into the   
flow of things. Toby felt that he had a grasp of the situation now too, but   
he was still so unsure, he wasn't about dangle his feet in the water.   
"Gentlemen, we're not saying do away with all guns, right now,   
forever. We're asking you to help us do away with these guns," Levi said as   
she tossed a copy of the bill on to the table. "And some very specific kinds   
of bullets, not to mention stiffer penalties on people who are found   
possessing such bullets. It's one step closer to the national public safety   
we need to achieve."   
There was a silence in the room. The three White House employees   
waited for the two congressmen to respond. The Jack Russell Terrier tried to   
chew on Toby's pant leg again, but after being kicked, found himself much   
happier with the leg of Josh's chair. Levi began to put her supplies away,   
still waiting for an answer from the slightly stunned visitors.   
"I'll see what I can do." Sugarbaker said finally. "Are we done?"   
"If we have your vote, we're done." Levi replied evenly.   
"Lord help me if I get fired for this." Sugarbaker said softly.   
"You've got it."   
"Me too." Wick exclaimed. "Just make sure it works. We're going out on   
a limb now, and if this bill fails us, you fail us. That's not something I   
want to experience, and I don't think you guys want to either."   
"Disregarding the fact that that sounds like a threat, congressman,   
you have our word. This isn't going to fail." Josh replied as the lot of them   
rose to their feet. Wick nodded and left the room with his elder counterpart.   
Levi bent down and picked up Dante, rising again to meet the curious stares   
of the two remaining men.   
"Things go a lot quicker when a) you don't have to beat around the   
bush, b) you don't have to follow any rules, and c) you pick some more   
unorthodox ways of handling things." She told them after another moment of   
the three of them standing there staring at each other while Dante rested in   
Levi's arms.   
"Well, you certainly accomplished that." Toby muttered.   
"That was legal, right?" Josh asked.   
"You're the lawyer. You tell me." Levi replied as she pet her dog.   
"You're not a lawyer? You live and work in Washington, D.C. and you're   
*not* a lawyer?" Josh asked in disbelief. Levi smiled weakly.   
"No, you're the lawyer. I'm the warrior. They rhyme, but they're not   
the same." She replied. "I've got another meeting. I'll see you two...   
whenever." She added before putting Dante on the ground and heading for the   
door. Toby and Josh watched as the small dog followed her out of the room and   
down the hallway. Then they looked at each other.   
"Do you have any idea what just happened here?" Josh asked.   
"Can't say I do." Toby said, slightly grouchy (as usual). Josh   
smirked, chuckled and then dashed out of the room to make preparations and to   
spread the news. Toby just stood there, trying to figure out what the hell   
was going on.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	5. Bias 5

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"Okay, let's see. Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Let's get   
started. We have a lot to talk about today." CJ said as she took her place at   
the podium. Immediately hands started shooting up and she could already hear   
her name being called by every single reporter in the room. "Well, that   
didn't take long. Can I get through this, or do we really need to start this   
now?"   
"CJ!"   
"CJ!"   
"CJ!"   
"Now it is. Arthur." CJ called.   
"Does the White House have any comments on the current massive veto   
polling on the gun-control bill?" Arthur asked.   
"Well, since you asked." CJ said with a smile. The press room   
chuckled. "The White House's initial reaction to the polling was that of   
surprise. Obviously we thought that such a bill could please all sides, but   
clearly we were mistaken and we're trying to remedy that. Someone told me to   
say "The day is still young" and no, I will not tell you who told me to say   
that."   
"Is it true that gun-control lobbyist Levi McClane has been brought in   
to work for the White House in securing more votes?" Danny called. CJ nodded.   
"Yes, Sarah Levi McClane has joined the team working at the White   
House in favor of this legislature. McClane is a graduate of Harvard and   
Yale, as well as a decorated officer of the United States Air Force. She   
resigned from the Air Force seven years ago. She's been living in Washington   
D.C. ever since, working as a free lance lobbyist, particularly in the areas   
of gun-control." CJ exclaimed reading the bio card she was given.   
"Does the White House have any reservations about the hiring of   
McClane after the incident seven years ago with Senator Swain?" Helen called   
out.   
"What happened seven years ago was a combination of many things that   
no longer exist today. Miss McClane is as fit as ever and the White House has   
no reservations whatsoever about her or her job here." CJ replied sharply.   
"Does the White House believe that her presence on the team will   
actually make a difference in the vote?" Steven asked.   
"Yes, we do." CJ answered smoothly.

"You know, some times I think about so much, my brain feels like it's   
overloading." Jed Bartlet mused as he stared into his glass of water. Across   
from him on the opposite couch, Leo McGarry chuckled and nodded.   
"I'm not surprised, sir. I know the feeling." He replied softly.   
"She's still mad at me, Leo." Jed said suddenly. "Every day, I come to   
this office and everyone calls me 'sir'. The only people that don't call me   
sir are Abbey and Zoey, and the other kids when I talk to them. Levi comes in   
and it's still like when we first met; It's like I've accomplished nothing   
more in her eyes. The only reason I don't smack her for disrespect is because   
I..."   
"You feel guilty." Leo suggested. Jed sighed and leaned forward.   
"I don't if that's it. Hell, you've known her longer than I have. Why   
is she still angry with me?" The President asked. Leo paused.   
"I don't think she's angry with you, sir. I think she just doesn't   
know what to do around you. She doesn't know how to act or how to be. The   
reason why Abbey and the kids don't call you 'sir' is because they know you   
personally and they've known you since before you were President." He mused   
aloud. "Levi is in that same situation, and she doesn't have the same freedom   
that they do. She just doesn't know what it is she does have."   
"Is it up to me to tell her?" Jed asked.   
"Well, you could be a little tougher with her. I'm not saying smack   
her, Mr. President; that would be a fiasco. But don't let her push you   
around. Don't let her make you feel guilty. She's a big girl and she needs to   
learn a thing or two about respect for others." Leo exclaimed. Jed smiled   
weakly.   
"That she does." He said. "But if you knew that, why did you suggest   
we hire her? She might wind up pissing off more people than she does   
convincing." He added. Leo shrugged.   
"It was the first thing that came to my mind." He replied with a   
smirk. "In the long run, Mr. President, she's the best there is. Every once   
in a while, she'll shove her foot into her own mouth, and then she'll usually   
climb out of it and find a way to make things right. She's good at making   
things right."   
"She hasn't with me yet." Jed pointed out.   
"You haven't made her." Leo returned. Jed nodded in consent.   
"Touché." He replied. "You think she's going to clash with anyone on   
this staff? Stuff her foot into her own mouth and all that?" Leo shrugged.   
"She might. She and Toby might butt heads on a few things, but Toby   
butts heads with everyone. If she and Ainsley get into the guns thing..."   
Leo trailed off. Jed smiled weakly.   
"It could be World War Three, ya think?" Jed asked.   
"Josh told me about a time once when Ainsley said that it's not that   
we care about public safety, it's that we don't like people who like guns."   
Leo said after a pause. "The problem is for Levi, that's more than definitely   
the truth. She has such an anger inside her, that if someone mentioned that   
they liked to go out back behind their house and shoot bottles, she'd beat   
them up."   
"Is that what Swain said?" Jed asked. Leo glanced at his friend and   
then shook his head.   
"No. You don't know?" He asked. Jed shook his head. Leo paused and   
then continued. "Swain mentioned that despite any statistics that Levi could   
produce to him, the "gun threat" was really not all that catastrophic. He   
also mentioned that anyone who was stupid enough to shoot their own family   
member should be shot themselves." Jed winced.   
"Ouch." He murmured. Leo nodded.   
"That's something similar to what he was saying a second later. I'm   
not saying it was right, but he deserved what he got. That was a damn stupid   
and cruel thing to say, especially to Levi." He added.   
"You know one thing she told me that I believe?" Jed said softly.   
"What's that?" Leo asked.   
"Everybody's biased. That's the nature of democracy. That's the nature   
of arguments." Jed said as he smiled weakly at his best friend. Leo chuckled   
and nodded.   
"She loves talking about arguing. Arguing, she's slightly partial too,   
but *talking* about arguing, discussing the nature of it, that's where she   
gets obsessed." He muttered.   
"Leo, how did we get this old?" Jed asked suddenly. Leo glanced at him.   
"Speak for yourself, Mr. President." He replied. Jed chuckled.   
"Sorry. How did *I* get this old?" He said. "Is that better?"   
"Much." Leo replied. "You're not old, Mr. President."   
"That's right. I'm *seasoned*, right?" Jed returned. Leo chuckled.   


"With all due respect, Mr. President, you're none of the above. You're   
the President of the United States, and that's about it." He said.   
"Right, because the President can't be old, now can he?" Jed retorted.   
"No, sir." Leo replied. "In fact, why don't you head on upstairs and   
ask your wife just how old you are."   
"She'll say I'm four." Jed replied.   
"No, you'd be sixteen, probably. Right around that age where a boy   
starts to--" Leo started.   
"Don't you dare finish that." Jed said with a grin. Leo raised his   
hands in defeat and stood up.   
"I'm going home for the first time in days, Mr. President. I'm sure   
your wife is indeed waiting for you." He said. Jed nodded and got to his   
feet, stretching slightly as he put his muscles back to good use.   
"Tell me that the next few days are going to be easy-going and okay,   
Leo." The President said suddenly. Leo paused.   
"Mr. President, the next few days are going to be a smooth ride;   
easy-going and okay." He said.   
"I hate it when you lie to me." Jed muttered before exiting the room.   
Leo chuckled and headed for his own office, eager to go home.

TBC... .

~ D.C.   
Batman


	6. Bias 6

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"The main problem is still there." Sam muttered. "No matter how many   
votes McClane swings over, I don't think we have time to still win this   
thing." He added as he sat down behind his desk. Ainsley sat down on his   
couch and thought about it slowly.   
"Well, maybe if you could cut parts of it, stuff that isn't as   
important to the rest of the bill, just leave the meat of it there, it could   
pass more smoothly." She suggested finally.   
"Why should we?" Levi said as she leaned in the doorway. "We should   
leave it the way it is. It's the most productive the way it is."   
"The chances are that it's not going to pass the way it is. I   
understand how you feel, but if you just made a few changes, cut down on one   
or two of the restrictions, you could have a much better chance of passing   
it." Ainsley replied quietly. "You'll be able to do more with a lesser bill   
that passes as opposed to a stronger bill that gets vetoed out of the house."   
"A lesser bill gets less done. If we cut down on it, it's not going to   
do anything." Levi returned, getting a little riled. Sam didn't like the   
looks of this. Ainsley remained calmed and cool.   
"Like I said, a lesser bill that passes does a lot more than a   
stronger bill that gets vetoed." She repeated slowly.   
"Well, what should we cut? Huh?" Levi asked. Somewhere in the back of   
her mind, an alarm was going off. "Maybe the guns? That'll get it passed.   
People will definitely pass a gun-control bill that doesn't mention guns."   
"Not the guns. Just some of the stricter restrictions." Ainsley   
replied.   
"The stricter restrictions are the ones we need." Levi said sharply.   
"If we cut those out, the lesser bill will be the same piece of crap already   
passed by this administration and there will be no actual gun control!"   
"Well, you can't take guns away from everyone. Some people need them   
to survive. You can't judge people who own guns; not all of them are out to   
kill somebody." Ainsley replied, still trying to stay calm, but not really   
appreciating the fact that she was being yelled at simply because of her   
beliefs.   
"But eventually chances are that somebody is going to be hit by one of   
those guns." Levi retorted angrily. "Eventually a gun is going to be misused   
and somebody else is going to die."   
"Some people enjoy shooting targets out in their backyard. Farmers and   
ranchers need rifles to guard their herds. Guns are a part of society in a   
way, so you can't just get rid of them." Ainsley returned. "So you have to   
ask yourself, is it the guns you don't like or is it the people who like   
guns?"   
"The people who like guns!" Levi snapped. Suddenly everyone was   
looking at them, and Leo was standing in the hallway. Levi paused and looked   
at the ground. Dante stood by her feet and whimpered. Leo walked forward.   
"Go to my office." He said softly. Levi looked at him.   
"I'm not a child." She replied.   
"Go to my office." He said, his teeth clenched. Levi saw the look in   
his eyes and nodded. She moved away quickly, keeping her eyes on the ground.   
Leo watched as Dante followed loosely behind. Then he leaned into Sam's   
office and looked at Ainsley. "I'm sorry about that."   
"Don't worry about it." Ainsley said softly. "I'm used to people   
disliking me because of what I think."   
"Just because she did that, doesn't mean she dislikes you." Leo said   
softly. "She goes overboard."   
"She doesn't like people who like guns, Leo, or people who thinks that   
they shouldn't disappear." Ainsley replied softly. Leo paused and then nodded   
slowly before glancing at Sam and heading for his office.   
"Are you okay?" Sam asked softly. Ainsley looked at him and smiled   
weakly.   
"I'm fine, Sam." She said. "Did you want to talk about anything else?"   
"No, I guess not. I'll be sure and mention what you said at the next   
meeting." He added.   
"I don't think Levi would like that." Ainsley replied somewhat   
stiffly.   
"Well, I really don't care." Sam replied with a weak smile. "Your   
opinion matters, Ains." He replied.   
"What'd you call me?" She asked with a smile.   
"Ains. You don't like it?" He asked. She paused.   
"No. No, it's fine. I just... It was a surprise." She replied. "I'm   
gonna go back to my office now." She said, pointing for the door.   
"Okay. If you need me, I'm just a phone call away." He replied. She   
smiled and nodded as she got up and headed for the door. As she walked away,   
Sam found himself watching her and tried to shake the feeling away.   
"Snap out of it, Seaborn." He muttered.

"That was out of line." Leo said as he went into his office and   
practically slammed the door. "She's on our side, and you'd do well to   
remember that." He added angrily. He stopped when he saw Levi sitting on his   
couch, her shoulders slumped and her fingers clutching her hair tightly.   
"I'm sorry. I know." Levi said softly, not looking up at him. Dante   
looked at Leo and whimpered sadly. "I don't know . . I don't know what came   
over me."   
"You fell apart." Leo declared. Levi looked up at him and then paused.   
"I guess I did." She said finally and looked back at the floor. "I   
like Hayes. I mean, she's a good person. I..." She trailed off and shook   
her head. "I shouldn't be here. I never should have come here."   
"I wouldn't go that far." Leo said with a sigh.   
"I would. It wasn't right for me to come here." Levi insisted. "This   
is such a big thing, Leo. Me being here could screw it all up."   
"Listen, if all this comes from what just hap-" Leo started.   
"It comes from everything that's ever happened to me, Leo." Levi   
interrupted softly. Leo sighed and sat on the couch next to his distraught   
friend.   
"When's the last time you talked to your father?" He asked. Levi   
chuckled dryly.   
"Five years ago, right before he died." She replied. Leo winced.   
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." He said softly.   
"You know, when I was sitting in the hospital, I was staring at the   
wall and wondering how much I cared about the fact that my father was in the   
next room, facing death's door." Levi said suddenly but softly. "I never   
forgave him, Leo. I never forgave him for painting me with David's blood."   
"He thought --" Leo started.   
"It doesn't matter. He should not have had a gun in the same house as   
children." Levi replied. "I shouldn't be here."   
"You're the one that's always saying that the only reason we ever   
fight for anything is because we care about things, because we're biased."   
Leo pointed out. "Your major problem is that you don't know where to draw the   
line and you don't know how to be truly respectful of the people you're   
dealing with. That's been your major problem your entire career, Levi."   
"Respect." Levi said slowly. "I have had a problem with it, haven't   
I?" She added weakly. There was a silent pause in the room.   
"I must say, that's the easiest I've ever seen someone respond to   
constructive criticism." Leo said suddenly.   
"I've got a lot to do, don't I, Leo?" Levi exclaimed softly.   
"What do you mean?" Leo asked.   
"I've got to learn about respect, apologize to a few people, figure   
out what trick I'm going to use tomorrow, feed Dante..." Levi trailed off.   
Leo smirked.   
"How old are you, Levi?" He asked. She glanced at him.   
"I'm 42. You know that." She replied.   
"No offense, but it took you long enough." He said seriously. She   
sighed and looked at the ground.   
"No offense taken, but couldn't you have told me that before I learned   
my lesson instead of after so that I wouldn't feel so crummy now?" She   
retorted. Leo winced playfully and patted her on the back.   
"You'll be fine. You're learning." He said softly.   
"But it's about time." Levi said before getting up and heading for the   
door. Leo frowned as he stood up.   
"Where are you going?" He asked.   
"Anywhere but here." She retorted as she moved through the door. Leo   
looked at his couch to where Dante was staring at the door.   
"You're not going with her?" He asked. Dante glanced at him and tilted   
his head as if to say 'are you nuts?'. Leo smiled very weakly and looked   
around the room. "Good point. This day's going well, isn't it?" He muttered.   
Dante grunted in agreement before resting his head between his paws. Leo   
glanced at him before moving back towards his desk.   
"Sounds good to me." He said to the dog.

TBC... .

~ D.C.   
Batman


	7. Bias 7

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

Toby walked into the meeting room, this time not really worried that   
Levi was not there yet. He'd gotten the idea that she wasn't on time; that it   
was part of the whole plan. He'd taken care also to wear a cheaper suit than   
the other one, in case Dante got restless again. He didn't like the dog, but   
he had to admit, he was getting used to it. On the other end of the room,   
Josh opened the door and led three senators into the room. Toby took a deep   
breath and tried to muster up a smile. He was never one to be nice to people   
he really despised, but that was part of his job description, so he smiled.   
"Welcome, senators. If you could have a seat, we're just waiting for   
our last group member." He announced.   
"Why isn't he here yet?" Senator Walters asked as he sat down next to   
Senators Lecroix and Preston.   
"Because the traffic on DuPont circle really stinks." Levi said as she   
moved into the room and set down her box on the table before taking her seat.   
"Especially on a bike." Toby glanced at Dante who sniffed the communications   
director's pant leg and then snorted in disgust before trotting over to the   
corner and lying down for a nap. Toby smirked and glanced at Levi who was   
rifling through her box.   
"A bike?" Lecroix asked.   
"What can I say? The porsche is in the shop." Levi replied with a weak   
smirk. There were dry chuckles all around as she fished out a thick packet of   
papers and a thin one and droped them on the table. "Let's start talking."   
She added. Josh nodded and leaned forward, giving his typical introductory   
speech about what they were all there for, as if none of them knew.   
The meeting slowly got started, with Toby and Josh doing a lot of the   
talking and Levi just leaning back and listening. Josh couldn't help but   
notice that she seemed a lot tamer today than she had before. Finally there   
was a break in the discussion and Levi leaned in for the attack.   
"What I have here in my hands, Senators, is a compiled list of all   
gun-related injuries that occured in your three states last week between   
Monday and Friday." She said as she tossed the thicker of the two packets   
into the center of the table and picked up the thinner one. "This is a   
compiled list of all the people who died in your three states due to gunshot   
wounds or gun-related injuries last week between Monday and Friday. No one   
person is on both lists." She said slowly as she let the information sink in.   
"You say your constituents don't support gun-control. Look at the   
seven thousand names on the injured list and then look at the six hundred   
names on the deceased list. Tell me how many votes gun-control just got, if   
you count the families of these victims as well." Levi exclaimed.   
"In five days, senators, those are the amount of votes that get   
changed in a single second." Toby added softly, having found a way to get   
into the flow of Levi's talks. She smiled at him appreciatively and then   
looked back at the three legislators across the table from them.   
"I'd been told you knew how to make a point." Walters exclaimed.   
"With all due respect, that's what I was hired for." Levi replied as   
she leaned back in her chair.   
"It's not that simple with me." Walters declared. "You can't just   
waltz in here and intimidate me, Miss McClane."   
"If I had a gun right here, right now, I'd intimidate you, Senator   
Walters, and you wouldn't appreciate that in the least." Levi replied. "In   
fact, you do not appreciate being intimidated at all, which is why you're   
suddenly being so hostile now." She added. Josh and Toby had to hide their   
smirks. Walters turned a slight shade of pink and looked at the packets of   
papers.   
"I'll talk to my people, but I make no promises now." He said softly.   
Lecroix smiled weakly.   
"As will I." She said softly. Preston merely nodded, remaining his   
same silent self. No one ever heard much out of Senator Alan Preston unless   
they'd insulted him to his face. Then he would never shut up until the   
offending person was removed from the room and someone else had gotten him a   
glass of scotch.   
He was well known for such traits.   
Levi watched as the three senators left the room and then she looked   
around for Dante. Toby wanted to ask her what was wrong, why was she so   
quiet, but she seemed to have a 'don't ask' look on her face. Josh didn't see   
it.   
"Levi, what's up?" The younger man asked. Levi looked at him.   
"I have to go." She said softly. "I've got stuff to do."   
"Levi, you've been quiet all day. You didn't rip any of these people's   
heads off. What's going on?" Toby asked softly. Levi smiled weakly as she   
picked up Dante and looked back at the two men.   
"I'm doing some soul-searching, so to speak. Just give me some time   
here. I can't really... I don't really want to talk about it." She said   
finally. Josh opened his mouth but was stopped by a heel kicking his shin   
sharply.   
"Okay. We're here if you need us." Toby said as he put his foot back   
on the ground. Josh bit his lip to keep from yelping, smiled weakly and   
nodded before limping for the door. Levi chuckled, nodded to Toby and then   
left through another door. Toby just sighed and went back to his office.

"Soul-searching? That's what she said?" Leo asked as he led Josh into   
the Oval Office. Still limping, Josh nodded and shrugged.   
"It's so strange to see her quiet." He replied. "I mean, she's been so   
*quiet* ever since..." He trailed off. Leo glanced at him.   
"Since what?" He asked sharply.   
"Since she had her little thing with Ainsley. I mean, I suppose we've   
all had our little things with Ainsley, especially Sam, but that's a diff--"   
Josh started to ramble when Leo started waving his hands.   
"She made a mistake. She's... I don't wanna talk about this." He   
said suddenly.   
"Talk about what?" Jed Bartlet asked as he walked into the room.   
"Nothing, sir." Leo said.   
"Levi McClane, sir." Josh said at the same time. Leo flashed him a   
look.   
"Strange human being, that one." Jed muttered as Charlie closed the   
door behind him. "I think she and that dog are two halves of the same brain.   
No wonder he bit me." The President added.   
"Sir, why does Levi dislike you?" Josh asked suddenly. Leo resisted   
the urge to kick Josh in the shin and glowered at him instead.   
"That is an excellent question." Jed retorted somberly. Leo rolled his   
eyes.   
"Oh, please." He said as he sat down. "You act like the innocent   
victim with those two. Face it, you kicked the dog so he bit you. You told   
her--" Leo stopped himself suddenly. "So she dislikes you."   
"What'd you tell her?" Josh asked. Leo kicked him in the shin. Josh   
yelped, still sore in that area. Leo winced as he remembered.   
"Sorry about that." He exclaimed.   
"Sure you are." Josh retorted through clenched teeth.   
"One night, Miss McClane and I were discussing certain political   
thoughts and some personal ideas. We talked about guns, family, dogs,   
education, all sorts of things." Bartlet started. "I mentioned that I was   
disappointed in her for beating up that guy over guns. She agreed that it was   
the wrong thing to do, and then... I don't know. The conversation got out   
of hand."   
"That doesn't sound too bad." Josh said.   
"At one point, I told her, in what I thought was a joking manner, that   
she should just never take me seriously from now on if she was going to   
counter everything I said with nonsense." Jed said somberly.   
"And she said 'okay'." Leo replied. "Since then, she's refused to take   
him seriously. Needless to say, there were quite a few other things that they   
said to each other that night, but these were the last words."   
"Wow." Josh muttered. "Were you there?" He asked Leo. Leo nodded.   
"Unfortunately." He growled softly.   
"Let's talk about something else." Jed said suddenly.   
"Amen." Leo exclaimed.   
"I think I'm going to have to call a doctor or something." Josh whined   
as he sat on the couch, rubbing his shin furiously.   
"I'd call my wife if she weren't out of town." Jed replied. "In the   
meantime, Charlie, let's get some drinks in here. A pitcher of milk and four   
glasses." He exclaimed. Leo couldn't help but smirk.   
"I'll stay if you promise National Parks won't come up anywhere in   
this conversation." Josh exclaimed.   
"Josh, I am the President of the United States and if I want to talk   
about National Parks, I will talk about National Parks. Besides, you can't   
leave the room until I give you permission to." Jed replied.   
"You shouldn't have brought them up." Charlie grumbled after ordering   
the milk.   
"Don't worry. We'll talk about something else." Leo exclaimed.   
"Something we can all discuss."   
"Spoil-sport." Jed exclaimed with a smirk.   
"Would anybody mind if I had my milk spiked?" Josh whimpered.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	8. Bias 8

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

Jed Bartlet muttered as he scribbled on his legal pad. He didn't do   
this often but today, he needed to sit in his office and write. After all,   
his wife was out of town and no wife, no special garment, nothing to do. So   
he was sitting in his office, scribbling notes on a legal pad, notes about   
random ideas and things that he needed to bring up or talk about with Leo and   
the others.   
"You've been hard at work the entire time that I've known you." A soft   
voice exclaimed as Jed heard the sound of a door opening and closing. He   
looked up and watched as Levi crossed the room to sit on the couch, Dante   
trotting around the room. He paused and put the pen on his desk.   
"Well, there's nothing much to do around here, as you can imagine." He   
replied, watching her carefully as she nervously made herself comfortable on   
the couch. She sighed and nodded.   
"I think the press would have a field day with that sound byte." She   
said with a weak smile.   
"You going to give it to them?" Jed asked suspiciously.   
"No. No, of course not." Levi said quickly and then sighed. "I'm   
sorry. That's not what I meant. I mean I didn't come here to argue."   
"You've never apologized to me before in your life." Jed said softly.   
"What's going on?" Levi glanced at him and then at her hands, leaning forward   
on the couch and staring at the couch across from her.   
"A lot of things have changed in the last seven years. One thing   
hasn't. I just came here because... Becuase I wanted to tell you that I'm   
sorry. I'm sorry for what happened seven years ago and I'm sorry for the way   
I've been acting ever since." Levi said softly. Jed paused, slightly   
surprised. Out of all the things he'd ever expect from Levi McClane, this was   
not one of them.   
"I know you didn't want me to come here." She continued. "I know that   
Leo had to convince you. I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry." She said again.   
Silence filled the room as Jed mulled over what she'd said.   
"In seven years, I've spent a major amount of time thinking about what   
went on between the two of us." He said finally. "I know that there was a lot   
in that discussion, things that Leo heard, and things that he didn't. There's   
so much that goes on everywhere." He said with a sigh. "I'm sorry too. You   
can't realize how nice it is to hear you say that though." There was another   
silence as Levi thought about what he had said.   
"I've been told that I need to grow up, that I need to learn about   
respect for others." She said softly.   
"I think that's an astute evalutation." Jed replied slowly.   
"No offense, but I didn't ask you. I'm having a hard enough time   
trying to figure all this out." Levi replied.   
"Figure all what out?" Jed asked.   
"Where my life is headed, what I'm doing. I mean, I've spent the last   
seven years locked away in my condo, writing from the internet, coming out   
only when one politician or another needs a heavy hitter." Levi admitted.   
"Dante is a good friend, but he's a dog, and he's not gonna be around for   
much longer. He probably won't live to see you leave office in six years."   
Jed smiled at that.   
"Being pretty optimistic there, aren't you?" He asked. Levi glanced at   
him.   
"Ann Stark played that move on you guys to make it clear her guy's   
running. You know what that means, even if you're not gonna tell your staff   
that you know what that means." She said softly. Jed paused.   
"It's time to run again." He said softly. Levi nodded.   
"And you've got to do it better than before. You kicked ass before.   
Now you have to haul it." She replied. Jed paused and nodded.   
"You wanna come help us out?" He asked suddenly. Levi stared at him in   
some semblance of shock.   
"You're asking me..." She started.   
"You apologized. Whatever it was in the past is *in the past* and that   
means it's water under the bridge. You're good, Levi. I hate to admit it, but   
you're good. You think I should haul ass? Come and help me do it." He asked   
sincerely. Levi paused and looked at her hands.   
"I'd have to think about it." She said honestly. "It's a very tempting   
offer, but I'm going through something of a mid-life crisis right now, and I   
need to re-examine a lot of stuff. Can I get back to you?"   
"Depends. You gonna call it in?" Jed said with a grin. Levi laughed   
and shook her head.   
"I'll fed-ex you." She replied. Jed laughed and nodded.   
"Sounds fine. You know that the secret service is gonna scan the heck   
out of that thing before I ever even see it, right?" He said with a chuckle.   
"I'm sure you find that very comforting." She replied with a grin. He   
nodded vigorously.   
"You bet." He said with a grin. Nothing more was said, and silence   
slowly filled the room.   
"Mr. President, it's getting late. You should head to bed." Levi said   
as she got to her feet. Dante noticed and trotted to her.   
"Where are you going?" He asked.   
"I thought I'd go get drunk, grab a shotgun, hunt down some alley   
cats, and beat the crap out of the Senate Majority Leader." She deadpanned.   
Jed chuckled weakly and nodded.   
"That doesn't really help our gun-control stance." He replied.   
"You have a point there." Levi replied. "Sir, you really should--" She   
started.   
"Get on out of here. I'm going." Jed interrupted as he headed for the   
door. Levi smiled and nodded, heading for the hallway. Jed watched her   
disappear, Dante trotting alongside her, staring up at her as he moved. The   
sight made it so that he couldn't help but smile. With a big sigh, he grabbed   
his jacket and headed back for the residence, taking his legal pad with him.

"Well, what's on the agenda for today?" Toby asked as Levi walked up   
to him in the hallway. Dante had decided to stay in Leo's office and sleep on   
the couch, so she was alone for the first time since Toby had met her.   
"Senator Mathis is a history nut. He believes that everything is   
founded in the history of this country and the constitution... when it   
suits him. In the meantime, the other two that are here today are freshmen   
senators and they don't know what they're doing. We go in there, heavy   
hitting, and we'll have them converted in roughly two hours or less." Levi   
replied smoothly as she fiddled with something that was inside her briefcase.   
"I take it you're going to hit Mathis with some history?" Toby asked.   
Levi smirked.   
"You bet your butt." She said. "You ready?" He smiled weakly back and   
then held the door open as they went in. The chipperness that she had before   
was back now. The Levi he'd originally met and found vulgar, rude and oddly   
anti-social was back, and he was happy to have her.   
"Good morning, Senators. Congressman." Levi nodded to their guests as   
Toby and Josh found their seats. Levi opened the briefcase and tossed   
pictures of a very authentic looking musket. "What you're looking at is the   
standard issue weapon of members of the American Military in 1787. It took   
aproximately seven minutes to load, with a kick roughly equivilent to a   
modern day black belt's karate kick." She added.   
"What is the relevance of this?" Mathis asked.   
"The closest any two houses were to each other was nearly six miles,   
and these were giant homes. There were highway robbers, random burglars,   
rapists, murderers and many other kinds of baaaad people out on the loose,   
and they tended to come after the rich families." Levi continued as if he   
hadn't spoken. "The United States was a fresh born country in this era, and   
there was the paranoia that England would not give up so easily."   
"I know all of this." Mathis said suddenly.   
"It was because of these things that the second amendment existed in   
the first place." Levi exclaimed as she sat down and glanced at Toby. Toby   
nodded and leaned forward, ready to do his part.   
"Today, more than two hundred years after it was written, homes are on   
average two feet apart. There are police patrols constantly on duty.   
High-security alarm systems are installed in nearly every home." He said in   
his slow, soft voice. "The average victim of a gun crime is an accidental   
victim, usually a member of the family." Levi tossed a picture of a standard   
issue Glock on the table.   
"Compared to the musket, this is today's standard issue handgun, the   
gun most commonly carried by today's police officers, also on the market to   
private citizens. It holds fourteen bullets, more or less, and it takes mere   
seconds to load." She explained. "A far cry in technology in two hundred   
years. There are millions of them out there today."   
"When the need for them is far less and the use of them is far   
easier." Toby added softly but sternly.   
"Are you saying we should ignore the second amendment?" Mathis   
accused.   
"Not at all." Levi retorted.   
"This bill is about stricter restrictions on bullets, not guns. It's   
also about making sure that purchasers have the proper training in gun   
handling, and that the family of the purchaser is profiled as well. We want   
it to be a lot harder for people to get guns, but we defiinitely do not want   
to make it impossible." Josh explained. There was silence as the senators   
regarded their lecturers. Sitting before the three Republicans were three   
victims of gun violence. It was enough to make each of them stop and think   
when those victims declared their intentions as not to make getting a gun   
impossible.   
"People are going to be able to get guns. We're not saying bypass the   
second amendment." Levi finally said. "There are people who want to go out   
and shoot targets in their backyard, that's fine. Personally, I think they   
can have just as much fun using BBs, which are considerably less dangerous   
than bullets. This is what we're trying to do here. We're trying to make guns   
safer, as safe as we possibly can, while still allowing people to practice   
their second amendment rights. Right here, right now, what we're asking you   
is do you want to walk out on Capitol Hill and say that gun *safety* is not   
something you want to improve on. Forget gun *control*; that's not what we've   
got here. What about gun *safety*?"   
There was a silence in the room again. It was obvious that Levi's   
addendum had the senators thinking. Her final question gave them the PR   
perspective along with the political one. What were the citizens going to   
think? Levi just told them that part of the campaign for this bill was to   
tell the public that there was an emphasis on safety as opposed to control;   
what were the citizens going to say if their eleected representative stood up   
publicly *against* gun *safety*?   
"I'll take it back." One of the freshmen senators said. The other one   
merely nodded. Mathis paused.   
"McClane, I heard a story about you once. Something about making a   
grown man cry with your arguments." He said. Levi smiled very weakly.   
"He was convinced that guns were for his benefit only. I pulled out   
his gun and asked him how good it was in someone else's hands." She replied.   
"I was arrested for assault and battery, I think, but he never pressed   
charges. That wouldn't happen for another year and a half with a different   
guy."   
"The one whose nose you broke." Mathis said.   
"Fractured." Levi clarified.   
"I'll take it back with me." Mathis exclaimed.   
"Thank you, sir." Josh said quickly. Mathis shot Josh a look and then   
nodded towards Levi before getting to his feet and leaving the room, the two   
freshmen right behind him. Josh glanced at Levi. "Senator's pet."   
"That's the first time I've ever been called that." Levi said with a   
chuckle.   
"Maybe I should go fracture a few noses." Josh muttered.   
"I think you should stick to shoving legislative agendas up some   
asses." Levi replied. "You've got your hands full with that one."   
"We might actually win this thing." Toby murmured.   
"It's a miracle, isn't it?" Levi said with a grin. The two men   
chuckled.   
"Something like." Toby said softly. Levi nodded and leaned back in her   
chair. The day was done.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	9. Bias 9

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

The West Wing felt reasonably silent. It had not been as such for   
several days, and things felt like they could finally calm down. The vote was   
approaching. There was anticipation on how it would all finally come down.   
Leo speculated that there was no way to be sure until the voting night. No   
one else wanted to make a guess. Even Levi was tight-lipped, which was rare   
for her.   
Ainsley Hayes sighed and went back to typing on her laptop. It was   
still hot as hell in the office, but at least she wasn't upstairs with the   
people who were resting nervously in their offices. Voting night wasn't even   
a week away and people were already sweating over it.   
"I don't dislike you." A soft voice interrupted her work. Ainsley   
didn't have to look up in order to respond.   
"You'll pardon me if I do not believe that right off." She replied as   
she continued typing. Levi chuckled.   
"I'm here to apologize. You want to give me a chance to do that, or am   
I unforgivable?" She asked. Ainsley paused and then looked at the other   
woman.   
"Come on in. Have a seat if you'd like." She said. Levi moved slowly   
into the room, Dante trotting around right behind her.   
"I still say you should file a complaint and get a better office."   
Levi said softly.   
"Is that your apology?" Ainsley retorted.   
"I think the heat is hitting your people skills." Levi replied.   
"No, I think you are." Came the response. Levi sighed and looked at   
her hands. This was going to be harder then she thought.   
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of your beliefs or opinions,   
and I should have been much more open-minded. Dealing with other people's   
stances has never been my strong point, which feeds into my excessive need to   
win." She said suddenly. "I don't dislike you. I think you're an intelligent,   
strong, interesting talented person, and I think you're also quite brave.   
There are not that many people who would take a job with people that believe   
many things differently, but you walked in here and said yes because you   
wanted to serve your country."   
"We're all here to serve our country." Ainsley said quietly.   
"That's right." Levi replied. "We all are."   
"Which means so are you."   
"In some twisted way, yes, so am I."   
"It's okay. You're not unforgivable." Ainsley said with a weak smile.   
Levi smiled at her and nodded.   
"Some people have told me otherwise, so I wasn't sure." She replied.   
"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Miss Hayes. Don't let my   
bull-headedness make you think that I'm someone I'm not."   
"Who might that be?" Ainsley asked. Levi paused.   
"Hell, I'm not even sure." She replied weakly before getting to her   
feet. "You might want to get started on that complaint."   
"No." Ainsley said with a weak smile. "This is my office." Levi   
chuckled and nodded.   
"Well, it's very nice then." She replied. "I've got to go. My dog is.   
. ." She paused to look at Dante who was rifling through Ainsley's trash   
basket. "Hungry, as you might be able to tell."   
"Yeah, that much is obvious." Ainsley said weakly.   
"I'm sorry. I'll clean that up." Levi said as she moved towards Dante.   
"No, no. I'll get it. There's nothing dirty in there anyway. I think   
you should just take him home and feed him." Ainsley said with a weak smile.   
Levi nodded and collected her pup before leaving the room. Ainsley cleaned up   
the mess and suddenly found a pair of hands helping her.   
"What happened?" Sam asked. Ainsley blushed slightly and shook her   
hands in the air before setting the can upright.   
"Levi's dog was a little hungry." She replied.   
"Levi was in here?" Sam asked as they both rose to their full height   
once more.   
"Yeah, she came down her to apologize. I was never really that mad at   
her though. I just figured it was a difference of opinion." Ainsley replied   
shakily. The truth was that she was never so much as mad, but she was   
slightly hurt and a little angered by Levi's explosion.   
"So what'd you say? Are things okay now?" Sam asked.   
"I think they are. I mean, I think that she and I have a different   
understanding of each other now, and that makes us okay." Ainsley replied.   
Sam smiled and nodded. There was a silent pause. "Was there something I could   
do for you, Sam?" She asked curiously.   
"No. Yes. Well, no . . I mean." Sam paused. "I don't know. I just came   
down to, you know, talk or check on you, or whatever."   
"I don't need checking on." Ainsley said with a weak smile.   
"Okay. Well, then. You, uh, hungry? I was gonna head out for some   
dinner before coming back to do some last-minute work on the . . stuff, you   
know. You hungry?" Sam asked.   
"You already asked me that." Ainsley pointed out.   
"I'm asking again." Sam retorted.   
"Sure." She said after a pause. "Let's go." Sam smiled and nodded. She   
grabbed her coat and they headed out the door.

"Life is funny, isn't it?" Levi asked as she leaned back against Leo's   
couch. Leo shrugged as he sat down in the armchair opposite her.   
"Funny isn't always the word that I'd choose for it, but why not?" He   
replied, glancing at Toby and Josh who were also making themselves   
comfortable.   
"Well, not funny ha-ha, but just funny as in odd." Levi replied.   
"I can agree with that." Josh said. "I mean, everything works out in   
such strange ways, but they always manage to work out at least."   
"I suppose that's true." Toby added. "Things that don't work out, they   
still end. They still work out in some way, just not always in the way we   
want them too."   
"So we just have to roll with the punches, go with the flow and count   
our winnings when we get them, right?" Levi said with a grin.   
"Look who's talking." Leo retorted.   
"Hey, now. Be nice." Levi replied with a smirk.   
"Have you ever known me to be?" Leo replied   
"Trick question alert." Levi retorted.   
"Atta girl." Leo replied before sipping his water. Levi chuckled as   
she sipped her own drink.   
"So what do you guys have to tell me today?" Leo asked.   
"We got McManus and Gereheart. I doubt Douglas is gonna switch over,   
but Hanover might." Josh reported.   
"The vote is about even, Leo. We're down to the wire. The vote is in   
two days and we're down to the wire." Toby said in his soft, somewhat   
over-dramatic tone of voice. Leo nodded.   
"Are we gonna know how this is gonna end up before we get to voting   
night?" He asked. Levi shook her head and the other two shrugged.   
"I seriously doubt it. In the long run, it's about 50-50 either way.   
If it gets vetoed, then you can resoup it and send it out for another shot in   
a year or two." She replied. "Some of these guys are dealing with   
constituencies, others are dealing with higher powers, and still more are   
dealing with bullies from within their own parties. There's no way to know   
until voting night."   
"For the most part, I agree." Toby added.   
"For the most part?" Leo repeated.   
"Nothing's impossible." Toby said with a dry smirk. "Just highly   
improbable. I believe that it's highly improbable we're going to know the   
final vote breakdown until the last senator stands up and then sits back   
down." The other people in the room smiled weakly and chuckled.   
"So, Levi, we're having a shindig voting night down in the mural room.   
Figure you've been working as hard as anyone on this. Wanna come along?" Josh   
asked with a smirk. Levi paused.   
"It seems highly probable." She replied before they all broke out into   
laughter, Toby chuckling the hardest.

TBC...

~ D.C.   
Batman


	10. Bias 10

 

RATING: PG   
NOTES: See Part One, Please enjoy. :)   
... Please don't kill me...   
ARCHIVE: Go ahead. Please do, if ye can.   
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine, except for Levi McClane and Dante the dog.   
SUMMARY: The White House prepares to send a comprehensive, best of the best   
gun control package to the hill, and they're going to do everything they can   
to make sure it passes. 

"Toby." Josh whined.   
"Don't you even." Toby retorted.   
"Come on, Toby. Live a little." Josh exclaimed.   
"We don't know how it's gonna go down, Josh." Toby replied.   
"Just one. We can save the other bottles for later." Josh whimpered.   
"You open one bottle, you're blowing our chances." Toby growled.   
"Well, that's just nutty superstition if I've ever heard it."   
"It's tempting fate, Josh."   
"So? Let's tempt fate. Live a little."   
"Josh, if you open that bottle, I'm going to break the rest of them   
over your head and then throw you out a window."   
"You know, for a rather morbid threat, you said that rather calmly."   
"I suggest you get away from me, and I mean now."   
"I mean, that's more than just threatening to kill me, which you've   
done many times be--"   
"Josh, get away from me now, or listen as I make up all kinds of new   
creative threats and then watch me as I *act* on them." Toby growled. Josh   
raised an eyebrow, handed the champagne bottle to the disgruntled speech   
writer and then slowly backed away.   
"Never try to ruin his day of jubilee." Bonnie whispered to the   
retreating deputy chief of staff.   
"No, really." Josh muttered. Across the room, Leo watched the scene   
that had just taken place and then glanced around the room. CJ and the   
President seemed to be engrossed in a deep conversation about dogs, while Sam   
and Ainsley Hayes were standing against the wall, also in what appeared to be   
a very serious conversation. Josh found refuge next to Donna's side and   
pretended to look as interested as she was in Margaret's non-stop, one-sided   
discussion of the truth behind fruit roll-ups.   
No where in sight could he see Levi McClane. It disturbed him.   
"Hey, Leo." Zoey's soft voice exclaimed as she walked up to her   
father's best friend. He smiled.   
"Hey, kid. What are you doing here?" He asked as he gave her a hug.   
"Nice to see you too." Zoey joked. "Dad asked me and Charlie to be   
here tonight. He said something about moral support."   
"Well, he either means about this bill or about having to deal with   
Levi." Leo mused out loud.   
"I don't think it's Levi. He said that she came into his office and   
they had a long talk and she apologized or something." Zoey exclaimed. Leo   
couldn't help but smile. Levi really was changing.   
"He didn't tell me about that." He admitted. Zoey smiled weakly.   
"I don't really see how much moral support I can give him about a bill   
though. I mean, you guys are going to win it, right?" She asked.   
"We honestly don't know. The last vote mark-up was 52-48, and we had   
asterics next to seven names telling us that those many people were still in   
limbo about what decision they were going to make." Leo replied.   
"So if the mark-up stays the same, you'll lose?" Zoey asked with a   
frown. She couldn't tell him, but the gun package meant more to her than she   
would ever let on. A gun shot her friend; a gun shot her father; a gun tried   
to kill her and her boyfriend because he was her boyfriend. She needed to   
know that things would be okay in the long run, and she didn't know how else   
to be assured.   
"Well, I'm not happy about the specific use of the word 'you' there. I   
try not to think of myself as a loser." Leo pointed out playfully. Zoey   
smiled weakly. He paused. "If it stays the same, the bill will not pass."   
"Then why is Josh trying to open the champagne?" Zoey asked.   
"My guess is because that he's more upset about the idea of losing   
then he'll tell any of us, and he wants to get drunk before he has to deal   
with the results of the vote." Leo mused sadly. He could remember feeling the   
same way.   
"Then it's good that Toby's not letting him drink." Zoey said softly   
as she slipped an arm through Leo's. Leo smiled weakly.   
"Toby is a very superstitious person when it comes to his work. When   
the vote's over, he'll crack that sucker open; either to celebrate a win or   
to drown his sorrows over a loss." He pointed out. Zoey paused.   
"They're good people though." She said. Leo smiled and nodded.   
"They really are. We did a good job rounding these people together."   
He replied.   
"I'm especially glad you found Charlie." Zoey said with a grin. Leo   
paused and then smirked at her.   
"You can't realize how glad that makes me." He said softly. After all   
they'd been through, after all that their relationship had put them through,   
Charlie and Zoey were still very much in love. To see two young people in   
love made Leo's heart swell with joy, especially when one of the two people   
was his goddaughter.   
"Thanks, Leo." Zoey whispered. Leo smiled a little wider and nodded.   
"Hey, Leo." Josh said as he walked up to them. "Where's Levi?"   
"I don't know. I've been looking for her." Leo admitted.   
"Leo." Mrs. Landingham said as she walked into the room. "There's a   
phone call in the office."   
"Okay. Who is it?" He asked. Mrs. Landingham paused.   
"It's Levi." She replied.   
"Levi? Levi doesn't use phones." Leo said worriedly as he followed the   
elderly secretary out of the room.   
"It's not her. It's about her." Mrs. Landingham admitted. Leo nodded   
and grabbed the receiver. Mrs. Landingham watched his face slowly drain of   
color as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. In the other   
room, the senior staff of the White House stared at the television screen in   
anticipation.   
"Three more, come on!" Josh called to the TV.   
"Prescott votes yes." A voice exclaimed. Everyone cheered.   
"Quiet!" Toby shouted. Everyone waited in silence. Another nay vote   
elicited groans from the rapt audience. "Quiet!" He snapped again. Josh   
looked around for Leo as another yay vote caused an eruption of cheers.   
"One more..." Toby muttered. Josh saw Leo enter the room and walk   
over to the President. The chief of staff whispered into the President's ear   
and the two looked at each other. Neither Josh, nor Leo, nor the President   
himself heard the cheers of joy as the last needed vote was counted and Toby   
popped open the bottle of champagne.   
In fact, the only thing Josh heard coming from the bottle was another   
gunshot. And as Leo glanced across the room, causing their eyes to meet, he   
could see that another gun had indeed been fired.   
Levi.

************************

~ D.C.   
Batman


End file.
